I write this on the day of the Wisconsin Sikh Temple shooting. There is little information as I post this; more details will come out shortly. However, we know this:

They described the shooter as a white man.

Turban-wearing Sikhs are often mistaken for Muslims.

Officials say he was armed with a 9-millimeter, semi-automatic pistol.

The suspect, described as heavily tattooed, wore a white t-shirt and black military BDU pants. He also had ammunition pouches.

“Because of the heroic efforts of the officers,” said Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards, “they stopped this from being worse than it could have been.”

From the little I know of the Sikh religion, I can say it is one of the most harmless and gentle of all religions. Not a lot of religions can make that claim. Why is gentleness and kindness persecuted, a target for evil? Goodness offends evil.

The spirit of the Trickster is laughing once again. Despair is the Trickster’s tool of trade. After the Colorado shooting we have the Wisconsin Sikh Temple shooting. We shake our heads wondering what the hell is going on. Is the world going crazy? Indeed.

As I write this on the day of this terrible event there are few details of the motivation of the shooter. Was the shooter inspired by wacko beliefs and the gun culture? Was he inspired by the Trickster?

Did Heath Ledger unknowingly channel the Trickster Spirit in his role as the Joker in the Dark Knight movie? Could the alleged Colorado shooter James Holmes have channeled the same Trickster but to monstrous instead of creative results?

Is there actually a Trickster Spirit? This Trickster could be an expression of our collective consciousness, equal parts inspiration and madness. Or just maybe…the Trickster Spirit is a genuine paranormal entity. What if?

Peggy Noonan wrote, “… That Joker was pure evil, howling and demonic, frightening to see and hear. If you know what darkness is, you couldn’t watch that Joker and not be afraid…. That character was so dark, and so powerful; he destabilized the gifted actor who played him. Ledger died of a drug overdose six months before the movie opened.”

Heath Ledger’s death and the Colorado shooting were only the surface of the Trickster’s games, like the tip of an iceberg. What dwells beneath the surface? The Trickster Spirit’s games extend deep into the heart of our society.

As an example, lets consider the assault rife used by the alleged Colorado shooter. Why is such a terrible weapon easily avaliable? I can understand owning a pistol for self defense or a rifle for hunting. What purpose does owning a hundred round assault rifle serve? These are Trickster weapons. Here are a few Trickster reasons:

REASON 1: Defense against the New World Order
Some people own assault rifles to protect themselves against the New World Order. They believe the Trilateral Commission, the Bilderberg Group, the Bohemian Grove, Freemasons and so on are planning to take over the world. Assault rifles capable of holding 100 round magazines are the final defense against NATO troops taking over America.

If anything, widespread ownership of deadly assault rifles, many in the hands of crazies, will lead to government surveillance of the civilian population. Widespread ownership of these weapons is leading to the very thing conspiracy theorist’s fear most…government access to all our private information. With that information why would a government need military force to suppress its people? The Trickster laughs…HAHAHAHA!

REASON 2: Defense against “Race Riots”
Some people own assault rifles to protect themselves against potential “race riots”. We have to protect ourselves against…well, we know whom. One never knows when dark-skinned types will suddenly go on a rampage.

American assault rifles are being brought into Mexico by the drug cartels. American assault rifles are being used to kill people of color…the drug cartels are shooting their own people. The Trickster howls in laughter at the irony…it is so rich!

REASON 3: Defense against the Apocalypse
This is the survivalist’s fantasy…the end of the world. Some great disaster befalls mankind, and all that one can depend on is his wits…and his dependable quasi-military assault rifles and his thousands of rounds of ammunition. This is a powerful fantasy.

Except with assault rifles being so commonplace today, so they will be after the apocalypse. Roving bands of thugs, bandits and misfits will have more assault riles then you do. The fantasy of being outnumbered but fighting off bandits pleases the Trickster Spirit. You never miss a shot; they never land a hit. In reality, you’ll pee your pants, surrender and the roving bandits will add your weapons to their collection.

40-round Glocks and 100-round assault rifles are Trickster weapons. They serve no rational purpose. They are an expression of a delusion and madness running deep in our culture. As a society we are channeling the Trickster.

A FINAL IRONY…Health CareColorado shooting victims: Who will pay medical bills?“Some of the victims, however, may face a long recovery ahead and the associated medical costs — without health insurance. There’s no exact count of how many of them don’t have insurance but statistics suggest many of them might not be covered. Nearly one in three Coloradans, or about 1.5 million, either have no health insurance or have coverage that is inadequate.”

With all the notoriety of this event, hospitals are donating services and people are giving money. Our health care system is partially based on charity. How long will that charity last, once the headlines fade away? The victims will be forgotten. This is one more of the Trickster Spirit’s victories. American health care is a terrible joke that only a Joker would find amusing.

One may protest…if this Trickster Spirit actually exists, why did the Colorado shooter’s assault rife jam? If it hadn’t jammed, the causalities could have easily been doubled or tripled. The police were able to disarm the booby-trapped apartment. Why did the alleged shooter warn the police his apartment was booby-trapped? Wouldn’t an evil paranormal Trickster entity want maximum possible destruction?

No. Had the Colorado shooting been far worse, had this guy’s apartment blown up and destroyed the building, it might have shocked people enough into considering changes in laws. The Trickster Spirit DOESN’T want laws to change. He is happy with the way things currently are.

What does the Trickster Spirit desire? He wants us to knowingly, willingly choose our own self-destruction. The Trickster wants enough pain to drive us into despair, but not enough to knock sense into us.

In legend and folklore there exists the trickster spirit. This is a spirit that does not depend on power to achieve its ends, but on cleverness and trickery, even outwitting the gods. This trickster archetype has inspired popular culture, including comic books and movies. In the Avengers movie the chief villain is Loki who in mythology is the embodiment of the trickster. In the Dark Knight movie the Joker is an exact embodiment of this trickster spirit. Tricksters make good villains.

Heath Ledger’s role as the Joker in the Dark Knight was so powerful it felt as if he were actually channeling the trickster spirit. His portrayal of the Joker character was riveting. News stories suggest the Colorado cinema shooter was in some part inspired by the Joker character.

Does the trickster spirit actually exist? In terms of psychology it clearly does or we’d not have this Jungian archetype. We could call the trickster spirit…madness. Crazy people. We always had crazy people and we always will. We can’t outlaw crazy. America is unique in that we allow these crazy people to buy assault rifles, weapons of personal mass destruction. In a way, America’s gun laws are as crazy as these maniac shooters. The spirit of the trickster manifests itself in American politics and law.

The Trickster Spirit is laughing right now. As a society we caterwaul over such tragedies while at the same time we allow crazies to legally own assault rifles that can hold a hundred rounds that fire 50 rounds a minute. Our gun laws are a joke even the Joker would be proud of.

Is the Trickster Spirit a paranormal entity? It is difficult to separate the purely psychological from the paranormal; the line is blurry. Many people seem to think so. Instead of popular culture’s name for this spirit such as Loki and the Joker, this spirit also goes by another name. Satan, Lucifer, the Morning Star, the Prince of Lies, the Snake in the Garden of Eden.

Does this evil trickster spirit influence only the minds of crazy people? Most crazy people are harmless, sad souls that deserve sincere sympathy. Evil does not require madness. Evil operates very well without “crazy” as we can see in both political and economic world events.

What happens when typical everyday evil and madness collide?“He was diabolical, demonic,” Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper said of the shooter. If this Evil Trickster Spirit actually exists, it surely desires that crazy people can legally own quasi-military style weapons. But being a clever trickster, this Spirit will limit such displays of their use. This Evil Spirit wouldn’t want to change minds and bring sanity to America’s gun laws. Our gun laws are exactly where this Trickster Spirit wants them…just enough to spread fear and despair but not enough to change laws.